Photo request
Sen. Richard Kasunic has introduced a bill that would require child welfare agencies to photograph every child in the system and keep a copy with each case file. It is a shame that a law is needed to legislate common sense. The Dunbar Democrat said he was prompted to initiate the bill after the tragic death of Kristen Tatar. The 4-year-old child was under the supervision of Westmoreland County’s Children and Youth Agency when the family moved to Armstrong County. While a caseworker supposedly checked on the child, and observed a happy, healthy child, it is now believe she wasn’t seeing Kristen at all. The child’s body, weighing just 11 pounds, was discovered in a cooler thrown with trash.
Kasunic believes that if Kristin’s picture had been transferred to Armstrong County, that the caseworker would have known of the dupe and that possibly the child would still be alive.
While agencies are required to take photographs of physically abused children, that is merely documentation of injuries. Nothing requires identification photos.
Still David Madison, director of Fayette County Children and Youth Services, said his agency has taken pictures of every child for several years. This makes sense so that if caseworkers turn over, the new one knows what the child looks like. Madison said that they even update baby pictures every six months to keep up with the rapid changes to appearance that occur in the early years.
If only every agency head were so wise. Since they aren’t, Kasunic’s bill makes sense and should gain rapid passage.